Woman of an Uncertain Age

Overview

An imaginative Indian woman in New York City tries to carve out a new self in her fifties, grappling with notions of age-based limitations and a mainstream culture obsessed with youth

When fifty-something Naina Mehta's husband unexpectedly dies of a heart attack, this imaginative suburban wife turns into a bold woman thirsty for new experiences, a far cry from the classic image of the aging Indian widow dressed in subdued colors and focused solely on her children and God. Naina also grew up in a society where historically widows have been expected to abandon all pleasure, particularly remarriage, and, in extreme cases, have even had to give up eating sweets, making Naina's foray into such  territory groundbreaking. As Naina becomes more empowered, she nervously dips her toes into the world of dating for the first time in her life. She might find that the possibility of love still exists for a woman of her age, but what happens if the man in question is Muslim and stirs generational wounds and the wrath of her conservative son?

Author Biography

Priya Malhotra grew up in New Delhi, India and is a writer and journalist based in New York City for more than fifteen years. She has a BA in English literature from Kenyon College and a MA in journalism from Columbia University and has contributed to numerous publications including Newsday, Time Out New York, The Times of India, The Japan Times, Asian Art News, Cosmopolitan and News India Times.